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What is a young Californian Optician to do????

Ok guys, California Opticians used to be regulated by the medical board of California as of last year, mid year, we became swallowed up by Optometry. The way that whoever wrote the bill did it very stealthily and without concern for Opticians rights (whatever they may be). The California Association of opticians that represents us essentially had the door closed in their faces as these meetings were happening. The same group that fought for opticians rights and won in the 80's I feel was purposely shunned from these discussions.

The one Optician (who is supposed to be an RDO is only an RSLD in the state of California) that the board of Optometry included in the discussions belongs to(is employed by the big W)a big box store and doesn't seem to be anything more than a pawn holding a spot to make it appear that they included Opticians.She also sits on their newly made up advisory board. The bill literally redefines what a dispensing Optician is and it does not truly encompass what we are. I believe that the board who fought in the eighties are a group of older gentleman Opticians and one woman and I don't know/ haven't heard if they are fighting this bill or if they even can at this point.

Anybody out there in Optiboard land that can tell me as an Optician what or how I can begin to do something about this? I don't want to be governed by Optometry. They have there own craft they are good at and I have mine. I want my profession recognized as the stand alone profession it is. I know that we are becoming an anomaly but we do still exist.

Am I a little cray cray for thinking lil ol me can even begin to make a difference?

If the bill is already law, there is no battle to be had. It has already happened and been lost. The new law is now the law of the land. You'd need a new bill to become a law to change it. That seems unlikely since the people who wrote the first bill obviously have an agenda.

If the bill is already law, there is no battle to be had. It has already happened and been lost. The new law is now the law of the land. You'd need a new bill to become a law to change it. That seems unlikely since the people who wrote the first bill obviously have an agenda.

Well, there is an assemblyman who I'm reaching out to who I am hoping can give me insight on what I can do or the proper channels to go through to perhaps get the bill amended. I don't know where else to start. I can't be the only Optician in California that cares about it though...I hope.

Well, there is an assemblyman who I'm reaching out to who I am hoping can give me insight on what I can do or the proper channels to go through to perhaps get the bill amended. I don't know where else to start. I can't be the only Optician in California that cares about it though...I hope.

The problem is, you can't amend a bill that is already law, amendment occurs before a bill is voted on in legislature and signed by the executive to be enacted, which makes it into a law.

The only way to change it now would be to pass a new law that amends the original law. This would require an entirely new bill to amend the current law. You'd be starting from scratch to amend the current law.

Become your own lobbyist, and go to Sacramento....often. Get the rep chair of the committee in charge of state healthcare to be your best friend. (i.e. visit him/her often), and keep hammering your case.

When I was younger, that’s what some of us did here in Texas...We got some victories, and defeats. Be prepared for virtually no support from your peers..Nether financially or even morally. Prepare for a very long drag of persistence, it will more than likely take years to even get your bill in committee, then legislative council before it goes to the floor. Pray it doesn’t get killed or buried by a lobbyist that actually has more money and experience than you ( about all of them)...

Sounds grim..It is, But, It’s surprising how such a small group of people ( I’m talking 3 or 4) can effect change on legislative fronts both local, state and even nationally. Good luck in your pursuit!

I feel it affects me because it discredits my profession to the general public. It groups me in with vendors who just do adjustments and dispense finished products and have nothing to do with lens selection but get to call themselves an optician. I studied a lot and continue to study a lot to know how and what materials of lenses do so I can help give patients the best vision possible with the rx their doctor has prescribed. I had to pay to be certified and pay to be licensed and now with they way the verbiage reads on the amended bill anyone can call themselves an optician when they're a sales person. Being grouped under Optometry, who I don't think should be dispensing their own rx's in the first place, allows them to decide what my job encompasses and they left an enormous amount of what Opticians actually do out of this bill.

Ok guys, California Opticians used to be regulated by the medical board of California as of last year, mid year, we became swallowed up by Optometry. The way that whoever wrote the bill did it very stealthily and without concern for Opticians rights (whatever they may be). The California Association of opticians that represents us essentially had the door closed in their faces as these meetings were happening. The same group that fought for opticians rights and won in the 80's I feel was purposely shunned from these discussions.

The one Optician (who is supposed to be an RDO is only an RSLD in the state of California) that the board of Optometry included in the discussions belongs to(is employed by the big W)a big box store and doesn't seem to be anything more than a pawn holding a spot to make it appear that they included Opticians.She also sits on their newly made up advisory board. The bill literally redefines what a dispensing Optician is and it does not truly encompass what we are. I believe that the board who fought in the eighties are a group of older gentleman Opticians and one woman and I don't know/ haven't heard if they are fighting this bill or if they even can at this point.

Anybody out there in Optiboard land that can tell me as an Optician what or how I can begin to do something about this? I don't want to be governed by Optometry. They have there own craft they are good at and I have mine. I want my profession recognized as the stand alone profession it is. I know that we are becoming an anomaly but we do still exist.

Am I a little cray cray for thinking lil ol me can even begin to make a difference?

The board of Optometry tried to pull the same trick move with Nevada. We were a bit lucky that a few members heard about it in time to represent us opticians and put up a good enough fight against those restrictive changes. I would not be surprised if they try it again.

I normally poo on this type of logic, but this time I think it actually has legs, given the reach of the influence of the CEO of this organization.
I think deregulation when it comes to things that influence health, safety, etc... is a terrible idea. Everything else, it's crapola. It's just a way for the state to create a hidden tax. But, for certain industries, it can be the difference between harm and no harm. Opticianry is such an essential part of eyewear, and the level of knowledge to do it well is so high (as demonstrated by members such as Mr. Martellaro, among others), that it absolutely should have professional regulation.